Bruce: Spin (July 1995)
"Kid in the Hall of Shame"

Bruce McCulloch is a Canadian comedian with a twisted new album. But he'd much rather be a security guard.

"I think we all wanted to just end it while we all still kind of liked it, while it still meant something to us," says The Kids in the Hall 's Bruce McCulloch about the Toronto sketch comedy troupe's decision to terminate its CBC/CBS TV series after five seasons. "We talked about doing a last episode where every one of our characters dies, which I kind of found humorous but I think people would just fucking hate us for."

Instead, the cast members had themselves buried alive during the closing credits and immediately set to work writing the script for The Drug, their feature film project for Paramount. McCulloch has spent his newfound free time directing humorous short films for the otherwise unfunny Saturday Night Live and recording his debut solo album, Shame-Based Man. "For me, the whole record is about lonely people, which is another good way to sell it," he says wryly of the album's skits, songs, and monologues about obsessive romance ("Our love is like a Bruce Springsteen concert: it's not that great, it's really long but wow, what energy. . ."), overbearing Doors fans, and his experience in April 1994 when the Kids' last tour rolled into Seattle minutes before the huge candlelight vigil for Kurt Cobain. "Would the square be full if he has simply slipped on a small hotel soap?" he wonders. "What if it had been. . .Aaron Neville?"

McCulloch's fascination with musical matters shouldn't come as much of a surprise. He was the Kids' most rock-centric member, creating characters such as the drummer of the hapless garage trio Rod Torkelson's Armada Featuring Herman Menderchuk and performing satirical songs such as "Daves I Know." "The idea of guys jumping around onstage is both interesting and ridiculous, and there's that old adage that rock stars want to be comedians and comedians always want to be rock stars." So, given the chance to start anew, which would he prefer to be? "I would rather be a security guard than a rock star," he admits. "You get a flashlight."

[Rubin, Mike. "Kid in the Hall of Shame." Spin. July 1995. p 26.]

Contributor

•  Trista Lycosky